Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-31
GENERAL BUSINESS.
TIE LEGISLATURE gs6AeED ygsrxR.
DAY ON AvARIsryor SUBJECTS.
Lobby Investigation School superin'
tendents- Mr. Massey and the Com
mission Railroad Receivers,
&C., &c., &C.

OpSNh w. ~ hVp' VOhh a. A<"ir pa
sident pro ten. Noprayer.
NILS RTP0RTUD FROM COMMITTEES.
To provide for the appointment oil
trustees, aldermen, &C., Of the cities
and towns OF the Commonwealth in case
Of vacancies authorizing and empow-
ering the councils of the city of Nor
folk to establish and maintain q public
park to establish the court of equity
Of the city of Richmond, defining its
jurisdiction, and relating to the courts
Of said city ; TO allow David Koontz,
former treasurer OF Page county, fur
ther time to distrain, levy, and collect
certain tax tickets and license-taxes for
| which he has accounted to the State,
with an amendment; to provide
for the payment of judg-
ment recovered by the Kendall
Pank-Note Company of New York
against the Board Of Commits
sioners of the Sinking Fund of Yir-
oinia, with an amendment; for the re-
lief of Jehn A. and John e. Roberts, of
Charlotte county for the relief of Sam
uel W. Lyons, treasurer OF the county
of Norfolk, with amendments joint
resolution authorizing the Governor to
appoint threc commissioners to act
with like commission on behalf Of the
State Of West Virginia to ascertain and
locate the true boundary line or lines
between the two States, with an
amendment 10 Incorporate the
Abingdon Coal and Iron Railroad
Company to incorporate the Clinch-
Valley Railrond Company to in
corporate the Fredericksburg Street
Railway Company; to amend, &c,
an act to amend and re-enact section
of the charter of the New-River and
Chambers Valley railroad; to incor-
porate the Suburban and City Railway
and Improvement Company; to amend,
&c, an act to amend the charter of the
Edenton and Norfolk Railroad Com
pany, and to change the name of said
company to that of the Carolina and
Chesapeake Railroad Company; sup
plcmenting an act to incorporate
the Virginia Mineral Railroad Com
pany, approved March 6, 1880, with
amendments to amend an act
to incorporate the Marble Com
paDy, approved March 30, 1869, and
to add additional sections thereto !;
to amend the charter of the Western
Branch Railroad Company to incor-
pOrate the West Norfolk and Carolina
Railway Company to incorporate the
Bermuda Hundreds Construction Com
pany; TO incorporate the Dinwiddie
and Brunswick Lumber and Transpor-
tation Company, with an amendment (;
TO incorporate the County
Railway Company to repeal the char
ter of the lron-Belt Railroad Com
pany; to incorporate the Chowan
and Southern Railroad Company,
with an amendment to incor-
porate the Gainesville and North
Carolina Railroad Company TO
authorize the Tennessee and North
Carolina Railroad Company, in this
State, to construct its road TO any mines
in Washington, Smyth, and Grayson
counties, and TO issue and use its stock
and bonds inpayment for rights of way,
work, materials, and supplies by con-
tract to amend, &C., an act to release
and transfer 10 the countiesof Highland
and Augusta the interest Of the Com
monwealth in the Staunton and Park
ersburg tulnpike-road, approved Feb
ruary %, 1884, and to add an indie
pendent section thereto, with amend
ments.
TIE RAILROAD INyE STIGATIoN.
Mr.. Meredith, of the special commit
tee appointed TO investigate the charge
of improper endeavors having been
made by the Lobbyists" for the
Charleston, Cincinnati and Chicago
Railroad Company to obtain the pas
sage of the bill granting this company
charter, presented a majority report
signed by himself and Mr.. Mcdonald,
saying:
Your committee have diligently investigated
the charges contained in said resolution and
find nothing which reflected upon the integrity
Of any member of the Legislature, or of any
one desiring the passage of said charter.
The evidence taken before said committee Is
herewith submitted.
MINORITY REPORT.
Mr.. Blackstone, who was chairman of
the committee, presented a minority
report, saying that he did not believe,
nor did the evidence show, that there
had been any corrupt means used on
the part of the friends of the company
TO secure the passage OF the bill, nor did
he believe that any corrupt influence
had been used upon any member of the
General Assembly in the interest of the
bill. Mr.. Blackstone, in conclusion,
says:
The evidence shows, however, that the COM
pauy have employed persons, promised one
peIson money, aud offered money to another
10 secure the passage Of the bill In question.
This WINS done not In q corrupt spirit, but mere
ly 10 show a disposition on the part OF the COM
papy 10 pay for any service rendered. The
minority Of the committee, therefore, come5 20
the conclusion that this was antagonistic 70 the
spirit Of the statute law OF Virginia prohibiting
lobbying.
THE CASE ARGUED.
Mr.. Meredith spoke at some length
in favor of the adoption of the majority
report, reviewed the evidence care
fully, and claimed that after q full.
free. and frank investigation he had
found nothing to reflect either on any
member of the General Assembly or
on any one who had favored the passage
of the bill. The evidence showed no
thing wrong. The company's agent had
employed Mr.. X. +. Walker to look
after their interest and attend to print
ing. should it become necessary to have
any done, and nothing more. He did not
think they knew of the statute to which
Mr.. Blackstone referred. He thought
it unjust and ungenerous on the part OF
the State when gentlemen of integrity
and honor come and ask to be allowed
10 construct road which will greatly
benefit her TO have these gentlemen in
vestigated, and he hoped the Senate
would sustain the majority report and
exonerate these gentlemen. Mr.. Mere
dith became eloquent in his praise of
Senator Butler, who came here as coun-
sci for the company wanting to build
the road and the gentlemen whom he
represented.
Mr.. Mcdonald but endorsed what
Mr.. Meredith had said. From his un-
derstanding of the case Mr.. Walker had
only been engaged to introduce the
representatives of the company to his
friends in the Senate, and had never,
so far as the evidence showed, APP